The Second Generation of the Three Brothers
by Miao Cai
Summary: At first a duel, which Xing Cai wins by accident! Now her father wants her to personally train Liu Chan, but how will Guan Ping deal with it? A little Guan Ping x Xing Cai


_Request of PyroDragon. Not much romance, but..._

_Well, here it is!_

The Second Generation of the Three Brothers

Disclaimer – I do not own Dynasty Warriors.

Xing Cai threw her shield around herself, hoping clearing all her five opponents away. All she cleared was the worthless one, Liu Chan. Yue Ying, Guan Xing, Zhang Bao and Guan Ping remained intact. Guan Ping lifted his heavy sword up in the air and swung down powerfully. The thing about this was his sword was heavy, heavy enough for Xing Cai to avoid. Her brother, Zhang Bao was fortunately dealing with Yue Ying and Guan Xing.

Xing Cai glared angrily at Guan Ping. Then, he took another mighty swing that nearly missed her. Xing Cai took this to her advantage and then stuck her fork at Guan Ping's neck. She would claim victory over him, had it not been for Liu Chan. The emperor swung his sword at Xing Cai's fork, causing her to lose one of her weapons, which was caught in the hands of Yue Ying. She grinned at the sight of two weapons and used her musou, blasting away Zhang Bao and Guan Xing.

Xing Cai, Liu Chan and Guan Ping turned to see what was causing all the commotion. The Prime Minister's wife grinned evilly as she held up both weapons at Guan Ping and Xing Cai. "Hey, what about me?" asked Liu Chan. The Lady scoffed. "You're not really a threat, Lord Liu." With that, she ran forward. Guan Ping held his sword and blocked Yue Ying's scythe, but he forgot about Liu Chan, who stuck his sword base at Guan Ping's stomach, causing him to be injured by Liu and Liu only; Ping still missed Yue Ying's attack. Liu Chan though was hit in the back with Zhang Bao and his father's Cobra Pike; luckily he was wearing armor and wasn't killed. Zhang Bao was struck with Guan Xing's spear and fell over, but Bao had quick reflexes and jumped back up.

Xing Cai's gasped in horror the same moment when Yue Ying charged because the weapon directed at her was her fork. Xing Cai held her shield high and braced herself. Turns out, having missed one of her targets caused Ying to miss another, trying to heal from the shock. Xing Cai took this to her advantage; she grabbed and pulled her fork back, causing Yue Ying to stumble forward, also causing her to tackle Liu Chan, also causing him to throw his weapon, causing it to fall on Zhang Bao's head, knocking him out, who's eighteen foot Cobra Pike spun around once more, knocking Guan Xing to the ground.

Xing Cai blinked.

The five were defeated.

Because Guan Ping held out his sword to defend Yue Ying's attack with her weapon?

Being the spectators, Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei walked over and helped the five up. "That was impressive!" exclaimed Zhang to his daughter. "How did you win so easily?"

Xing Cai looked over at her fork. "I don't know."

"You did well, that's all that counts," praised Zhuge Liang. "You're better than Yue Ying now."

Yue Ying stood up, embarrassed. "That's _only_ if Ping wasn't in the way…I would have scored victory."

"That was _if_," grinned Ping. "I'd rather have Cai win a game than you."

Yue Ying brushed herself off. "I feel so wonderful."

Liu Bei pulled his son up. "Chan, how do you expect to rule a nation like that?"

Liu Chan shrugged. "With the Prime Minister there to help me though, I'll do fine."

"You have to learn how to deal with this yourself, Chan."

Guan Yu stroked his beard thoughtfully as he observed his son's spear and adopted son's sword. "Ping, how could you fight with such a slow weapon?"

"It may be slow," began Guan Ping. "But I did it, didn't I?"

"You didn't win," said Guan Xing. "But you did protect yourself."

"That's all there is to war. Protect yourself and the people."

Liu Bei pointed to Guan Ping. "See, Liu Chan? That his how you are supposed to be. Zhuge Liang, I ask of you, no I _beg_ of you to help Liu Chan."

"You want him to be a better warrior as well," began Liang. "You'll have to ask someone else to become his personal trainer."

Zhang Fei laughed. "Cai can do it! She just won with a simple move! Defending herself! Chan has to learn the strategies of becoming a better warrior through simpler moves, Brother Liu."

Xing Cai grew uneasy. "But father-"

"You're a sixteen year old _prodigy in war_. I would request no one else." He caught a glimpse of Yue Ying and Zhuge Liang beside him. "Hey, she won! What else can ya want?"

Yue Ying looked at her nails. "Whatever, I'm fine."

"This doesn't concern you," scolded Liang. "Its about Liu Chan and his training with Xing Cai."

"Father," said Xing Cai. "Why will I be assisting Chan?"

"He is your future husband," began Zhang. He added to himself, "Yeah, and besides, I would threaten Zhuge Liang to kill him if he wasn't good enough. Hell, he's terrible now. He needs a trainer."

Liu Chan heard. "Master Zhang, I just need more training."

Liu Bei, Guan Xing, Guan Yu, Zhang Bao, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang and Yue Ying walked off. "Yeah, more training my ass. Someone shove a spear through his throat."

Xing Cai said to Liu Chan, "Chan, the first thing you need to know is to pick the right weapon for you. Are you-"

"No." Guan Ping threw his sword over his shoulder. "It's what you use. For example, he has to learn methods and strategies."

"Not until he has a weapon," countered Cai. "Ping, you should leave. The Lord Guans are inside, waiting for you."

Inside though, Zhang Fei asked Zhuge Liang, "You sure this'll work? Seems like they're in a pickle."

"If this will happen, it was _my_ idea and it _will_ work." Yue Ying said, changing on the other side of the film. "Besides, as long as Chan is in the room, it'll work."

"The imbecile," cursed Zhuge Liang to Liu Chan. "He is worthless. Perhaps I should-"

"AFTER this succeeds," said Guan Yu. "We can't risk anything now."

Zhang Fei scratched his back. "Brother has got a point."

"Wait a minute," said Zhuge. "Why are we planning so much for Lady Zhang and not Liu Chan? He's probably away from a decade to being emperor."

"I know," mumbled Zhang Fei. "But Liu Chan is not the man for Xing Cai. She's brave, strong and –"

"And clever," finished Yue Ying, stepping out, fully changed. "She's just like me, but if you think Guan Ping is right, what about my lifestyle? I'm similar to Xing Cai, but Guan Ping is not to my husband."

"You may be similar, but you are not the same," bean Guan Yu. "You see, you have more intellect that Xing Cai, tossing this out of balance. And Zhuge Liang is _way_ more intelligent that Ping, why I haven't met a man smarter than Zhuge Liang." Flattered, Zhuge Liang fanned himself.

"We have no other choice than to see this work out then," replied Yue Ying.

The men nodded.

"Not a word goes to brother Liu!" ordered Zhang. "You'll be looking for your head if you do."

Before anyone could answer, this was heard outside:

"Weapon!"

"Strategy!"

"Weapon!"

"Strategy!"

"Weapon!"

"Strategy!"

"And to think you said that Guan Ping wasn't as smart as I," said Zhuge. "Well, not yet."

"He's been hanging around you for too long," sighed Guan Yu. "But that is a good thing until he gets a big head just like Liang."

"Hey!"

Back outside, Xing Cai threw her weapon away in haste. "Guan Ping, WEAPON!"

"STRATEGY!"

Liu Chan walked away. "I'm not going to deal with this anymore...I can't. I simply can't."

But the two were so engrossed with their argument, they didn't notice Liu Chan had left and the time it was when they finally finished.

"WEAPON!"

"STRATEGY!"

Xing Cai threw her arms in haste. "You know what? I don't have time for this! Hey, where's Liu Chan?"

"No," said Guan Ping, sarcastically. "He left, dumbo."

"I'm not a dumbo!" she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Take it back!"

Ping grinned. "What's gonna make me?"

Xing Cai grinned. "How about a duel? One on one?"

"No way."

"What? Why not?"

"Because I'll win and I don't want to be responsible for causing a major injury ta you."

"Yeah, right. Then how did I win before?"

"Accident."

Xing Cai gasped. "Oh, it's on now, it's on."

Guan Ping raised his sword. "Whadda watin' for then?"

Xing Cai raised her shield and fork. "Just the first attack."

"You don't know a thing," grinned Guan Ping, circling her. "Ya see, when-"

"I don't need your assistance!" she said, still waiting.

Guan Ping said it anyway: "When you first wait for your opponent to make the first move…" He jumped up and threw a bomb. "You'll die!"

Xing Cai rolled out of the way. "Not if you're careful!"

"Even so!" Guan Ping had thrust his heavy sword down, but seeing Xing Cai and her shield that wouldn't last through the attack, and he must not have realized how heavy his sword was, he was more than wise then to stop his attack, but how with such a heavy weapon…

Guan Ping redirected his sword and stopped it on the ground, gasping. He hadn't noticed it yet, but redirecting that attack had caused a powerful strain in his hands because of the jewels incrusted in his sword hilt. He gasped even more, putting his hands on his weapon's hilt, but once he felt a powerful pain inside his hands, he grunted and looked at them. His hands were bleeding before, and the pressure he just put on them now caused his wounds to open up, thus his blood flew everywhere.

Xing Cai gasped and called for help. "Father! Guan Yu! Liu Bei! Zhuge Liang! Lady Huang, anybody!"

And all of them hastened outside.

"My son, what happened to you?" said Guan Yu said, lifting his sword and throwing it aside.

Xing Cai remained speechless although any idiot could tell she was the culprit.

"I…I was lifting my sword up, until I realized I lifted it the wrong way…I lifted the blade, and-"

Yue Ying looked over at the sword. "That's a stupid lie and you know it is, Ping."

Guan Ping was ready to accept a huge scolding, but Xing Cai spoke up, being the half idiot and said, "No, it's true."

Yue Ying shot her a dirty look. "Take a glimpse. The sword blade has no blood, only the hilt; not only that, look at Guan Ping's hands. They aren't slashed, but scarred. What happened?"

Guan Ping sighed. "Don't blame her for this…Xing Cai and I were arguing about how to train Liu Chan, and it came to a point of what was first to learn, strategy or weapon, and-"

"Weapon is a need of strategy and a strategy is no use without a weapon," said Zhuge Liang. "They are both mandatory."

"But which is first?" asked Xing Cai.

"You need not worry about that now," sighed Zhang Fei. He called to a servant, "Hey! Get a physician here!"

"No need," said Zhuge. "Just get a bandage and some antiseptic here."

---

Guan Ping tore off the rest of the bandage with his mouth and attached the bandage with a piece of metal, which he struggled to put on. Xing Cai walked in his quarters, unarmed. "Do you need help?"

Guan Ping took a glance and then replied, "I'm fine."

"You cannot even attach the metal, Ping."

"So what? I still don't need your help…"

Xing Cai walked over and attached the metal on to the bandages. "Look, I'm sorry for what happened before…"

"It was nothing, I was just trying to help you."

"Father found out anyway. I'm in for plenty of trouble for doing this to you."

"You did nothing."

"I requested the duel. I did something alright."

"Still, I agreed."

"Come on now," said Xing Cai, sitting down on a chair next to Ping. "I am still culpable."

"Don't worry about it, I'll talk to Lord Zhang in a little bit."

"Why did you do that?"

Guan Ping looked away. "You need not know."

"You never talked like that, it was Lady Huang and Lord Zhuge that always did. Come on, we were friends for _years_. Tell me what's wrong."

"That's it; ya answered yer own question."

"What? What Lord Zhuge and Lady Huang does?"

"No."

"…What else did I say?"

"..."

"…"

"You're cute when you're stupid."

Xing Cai slapped Guan Ping. "What did I say?"

"...Quote, _We were friends for years_, end quote."

"What's wrong with that?"

Guan Ping looked into her eyes. "I have to be honest with you…I knew we were meant to be the minute I first saw you."

Xing Cai frowned. "I was three."

"And so was I, but I took it like an adult. I was mature."

"And now what?" she asked. "Where is this going to lead us?"

"_Us_?" asked Guan. "I admitted it, yes, I do. But what about you?"

"I'm not sure," she said.

"Would you prefer Liu Chan?"

"Guan Ping, you'll always be my star!" she said, hugging him. "Liu Chan, the imbecile! Everyone wants me to marry him...forget it! I'm seventeen and I know what I want in my life!" She looked up. "And I want you to be a part of it."

Guan Ping brushed her hair. "So do I…"

Yue Ying, Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu heard this from the start.

"See?" said Yue Ying, smiling. "We didn't have to kill Liu Chan for it to happen after all!"

"I knew it all along," said Guan Yu, stroking his beard happily.

"No you didn't! It was I! HA HA HA!" said Zhang Fei.


End file.
